Destiny
by Naidoo
Summary: Some things are destined to be together - one way or the other. Collection of Oneshots that explores the idea how Jack and Ianto would have gotten together if certain things wouldn't have happened. NEW Ch2 What if Jack never had travelled with the Doctor.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: This isn't really a continuing story, as it's more five one-shots connected by one idea. Well, five for the moment anyway. It is AU and only for the facts of how Ianto and Jack ended up meeting or for the main events of the chapter not having happened that way. Chapters are unrelated to each other. _**  
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Chapter 1

**"No (Cyber)woman, no cry"**

Ianto liked his life – well, most of it anyways. He was aware that nothing ever was as perfect as the movies. There were ups and down – naturally, but all in all he was happy with life. He had a good job, a job that actually paid well even though it wasn't very challenging. Being a junior researcher for the Torchwood London Institute and one of their active archivists was technically a pretty mundane job that didn't give much variety when it came to his days. But the promotion chances were good.

He had been working for the Torchwood Institute now for a good three years and most of the people that had started around the same time he had by now had moved up the ladder to rather respectful positions. A few times already his supervisors – or these of other departments – had come by to see where he saw himself in the next few years. Ianto wasn't sure, so he used to asked them – where did they see him? The answers he usually got where either stuttered 'Well's or none at all. Ianto himself hadn't known where he wanted to go next. And that was the problem. He really liked his job despite the fact that it was always the same. He liked the quietness of the archives, the serenity it reflected for him. He was mostly by himself. Some would call him a loner, which technically wouldn't have been _completely_ wrong. There was just something calming about the silence, the order he brought to the chaos, the fact that he pretty much knew the archive inside out and better than anyone else at Torchwood London. He liked that he ordered the chaos and in his opinion there were no 'little' jobs, or unimportant ones. Everything was important and played a role somehow. He actually liked his job so much that others had given him a 'title'. He was the 'man who filed and never moved.'

It wasn't as if he hadn't any higher ambitions, but he just didn't know what these were, where he saw himself. There however was one department he would have liked to join. Being a field agent was the one thing he could have imagined doing. But it was more a dream – a fantasy really – because he was definitely not good enough. And in the history of Torchwood London there had never been a junior researcher and archivist, who had made it into the field. They were seen as the geeks and nerds, the ones that would probably shot themselves in the food when handed a loaded weapon. He mentioned it once to his superiors, but they just smiled at him in somewhat of pity, knowing the chances that he'd ever made field agent were close to none. It was the first and last time he mentioned it.

"Hi babes," he heard all of a sudden coming from the door, interrupting his train of thought. Leaning against the doorframe was Lisa, his girlfriend and co-worker. He was wondering for a moment what brought her to his department – since usually that rarely occurred – when he caught a glimpse of the clock. Right, they were scheduled for lunch.

"Just a second and I'll be yours for the next hour," he smiled at her at which she rolled her eyes comical at him.

"You're always mine. We are so compatible," she replied, smiling, stepping into the room. "What are you currently working on?" she asked curiously and Ianto wondered whether she really wanted to know. The truth was that whenever he tried to start a conversation in regards of what he did all day long Lisa was hardly paying attention. Not that he could blame her – much. It was after all not the most excitable job. But a bit of interest would have been nice.

"Um… just bits and pieces. This and that really," he said. He saw her nodding, smiling at him "That's great," and was pulled out the door a moment later. She hadn't listened, probably hadn't even cared.

They found a table at their usual lunch place quickly and ordered. A sandwich for him, the salad with dressing on the side for her.

"Have you thought about what Jenkins had talked to you about the other day?" she asked and Ianto was barely able to stop the eye-roll. Ever since he had been approached by Elliot Jenkins, Supervisor of the Analysts department and had been offered a position there, Lisa didn't seem to have any other topic she rather talked about. Ianto had seen the offer with suspicion. He had never been really approached with a direct offer for a promotion. But then again he had heard someone mention that if you worked long enough for Torchwood you would eventually get promoted, no matter your talent, interest or capability.

"I like my current position," Ianto repeated what he had been saying over the past days, whenever she brought it up.

"But it is a good position. More money, less work, more responsibility," Lisa argued and Ianto this time couldn't stop the eye-roll this time.

"I like my job. And I am certainly not in it for the money. I like what I do and as an Analyst there is _not _more responsibility. That's just something everyone likes to tell you," he replied, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Lisa pouted at him for a moment, before replying. "You know, people have been talking about you. Since three years now you are stuck in these god-awful archives. Colleagues that started working around the same time as you have moved up in Torchwood by now and hold quite good positions. No one stays longer than a few months in the archives. It's like an entry position everyone is getting away from as soon as they can."

"And because no one ever stays long enough, nothing ever gets organized and done there," Ianto replied, taking another bite.

"Ianto, babes, before you started Torchwood employed interns for the job you are doing. Looking at this, you basically do a job that had previously been done by people who didn't get paid for it or got paid like the minimum wage. This isn't really a position you want to keep til the end of your days," Lisa countered. "You know, this isn't just about you," she said a moment later, which made him forget about his lunch for a few seconds.

"It… isn't?" Ianto asked confused.

"No," Lisa said. "Has it ever occurred to you, that I would like to have my boyfriend hold a position a bit more prestigious than the freaking archives? I want an upgrade in life, something better, more pristine. There must be some other position you desire. I mean, come on, the archives certainly aren't your dream come true, are they?"

"Um…" was his first response, not quite sure how to reply to that. "I like my job," he said, sounding slightly petulant for a moment. "But… well, there is something I'd like transferring to…if the chance should ever arise."

At that Lisa sat up, interested in whatever would come next.

"I… was thinking I could try for field agent and go through the basic training …" he said tentative.

There was silence for a moment with Lisa looking at him flabbergasted. "Babes, I said 'prestigious' and not 'out of reach'," she simply said, taking a bite of her pasta.

And there it was again, the reason he probably wouldn't go ahead with it. Because if everyone else thought he wasn't good enough for it, why should he be right in his assumption that maybe all of them were wrong?

After that their lunch had quickly gotten to an end and Ianto found himself back in the security of his archives.

Four weeks after this conversation Lisa left him. He had heard rumors before that she had been seeing someone else while they were still dating. The rumors went from some director of the Analysts Department – which would explain their sudden interest in him – to someone from Field. He hadn't paid much attention to them, mainly because of the fact that when he and Lisa started dating people never gave them more than a few weeks or months until it would end again. In retrospective maybe these people had been right that him and Lisa were just not made for each other and maybe he should have paid a bit more attention to the 'she is seeing someone else' side of it. But then again, it didn't matter.

The pitiful looks he got for the first few days after the breakup told him everything he needed to know. Everyone felt sorry for him, but no one was surprised. It seemed like no one really thought he could ever be more than the archivist – not even a boyfriend.

It wasn't as if he was running away or wouldn't have been able to cope seeing Lisa every day. No, it was neither of it. He knew, given the time, he would have gotten over her eventually. It just needed a bit of time – they had been dating for three years after all.

No, the reason he did it was because one morning, he got up and realized that there was no one at Torchwood London who believed he could be a lot more than an Archivist and he decided that maybe he should go and see if they were right. At this stage he had nothing left to loose really.

So he asked for a transfer. To Torchwood Cardiff. Away from London, away from all these people who thought he couldn't do anything else than keeping files organized and make coffee, away from Yvonne Hartman. His transfer was approved within hours it seemed – and a week after his request, he found himself on his way, determined to make a change.

"Did you love her?" he heard Jack.

"Who?" Ianto asked confused. By now he had been working for Jack Harkness a good few months. To say the man was an enigma would have been an understatement.

"The woman you were running away from and the reason you found yourself in Cardiff all of a sudden."

"I wasn't running away," Ianto protested, continuing his filing. One look at his boss and he added "much."

There was silence for a moment, before Ianto asked "How do you know about that anyway?"

"I did some research."

"Here I always thought that was my job? Do I need to worry about finding myself out of work soon?" Ianto asked playfully at which Jack laughed.

"Not really. Just… curious. So… did you love her?"

Ianto thought about Jack's question for a moment, before replying. "I always thought I did. But… I guess we were never meant to be. We had different goals in life. A different perspective if you like. Maybe… it would have worked if circumstances would have been different," he mused, smiling softly at the Captain.

"You think so?" Jack asked, curious.

"Yeah. Why? What do you think?" Ianto asked, his eyes following Jack's way through several rows of shelves.

"I think people are destined for each other. And no matter what the circumstances, they'll always find each other," he said, which shocked Ianto for a moment. Jack Harkness, sappy and actually romantic – the world surely would end soon.

"And who am I destined for?" Ianto asked curious, seeing the Captain emerge again from a row of shelves, walking towards him. He could make out the sudden grin that was gracing Jack Harkness' handsome features.

"I'd like to believe it's me," he said, before he leaned forward, capturing Ianto's lips in a kiss.

Ianto certainly could live with _that_ destiny.

Almost a year after he had left Torchwood London, Ianto returned. On a mission for his dashing Captain to liaise with several departments in London in regards of a case Cardiff was working on right now. A lot had changed. Especially about him. About his life. About the things he thought he could or couldn't do. He left as 'The man who filed never moved' and returned as 'The field agent that tamed Jack Harkness.'

He wasn't bragging.

_Much._

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_Thought? Liked it? Didn't like it? Constructive criticsm?_


	2. No Doctor

_AN: Ok, I have to admit this got a slightly (tiny) bit out of hand. The thing is that I had so many ideas for this One-Shot and somehow they all didn't work out the way I wanted. Not sure if the final result actually is what I really wanted either :) I hope you enjoy!_**  
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Chapter 2

**"Through time and space"**

_This_ was not the plan. This certainly was not what he had ever wanted or thought his life would become. Abandoned. In a time he had not really any idea about. Sure they had Earth's history during school, but there had been so many events that all they did was roughly mention it. Also, it been years and years ago when he was at school. Now he kind of wished he had paid more attention. And had trusted that god damn John Hart a little less. How stupid could he have been?

It was the mission of all missions. Everybody in the time agency was after a job like that. He should have been suspicious when Hart had approached him – after having worked a few mission together successful – asking whether they should give it a try as a team. Capturing John Smith was on every time Agents agenda, but no one ever managed. He was a time traveler so advanced it was hard to actually say where and when he would appear. Jack couldn't even remember what exactly he was wanted for, but he knew the reward, which was huge. Even split by two it was more than enough. And more than he'd ever imagined owning to begin with. And maybe having money as motivation wasn't the best of things. But he knew Hart – or at least he thought he did. Their shared missions – among other _shared_ things - was a good enough reason for him. They had history, work-wise as well as sharing each other's beds for a few very distant, but blissful nights.

And now he was abandoned. Just when they had managed to track John Smith down. They were about to get him back to their time, when Jack all of a sudden realized his Vortex Manipulator wasn't working. He assumed it was just a short circuit fault, but later found out that John Hart had it manipulated. And then disappeared, leaving Jack stranded on Earth, circa 1999.

With no money, no clue and certainly no local knowledge Jack quickly realized this would be tough. Especially seeing that people during that time still … were not as developed. They had their quaint little labels and everything needed to be political correct. Jack, who was an easy-going and relaxed guy about sex and genders – or races if you spoke in regards of the universe – saw himself running into a few issues.

After about two or three weeks he had stopped counting the amounts of slaps he had gotten from woman when approaching him with his rather blunt, but straight to the point interest for sex with them. Somehow things were a lot easier back home, in the 51st century. You got an itch? You scratched it. 20th century – soon to be 21st century people – expected all this courting and dating and even then, if you got lucky after a few weeks or months you got invited into their bed. One-night-stands were unheard of and everyone was emotionally involved with you.

After a few months he had managed to get a job and faked an ID card as well as anything he might need to actually get by for a while. The last thing he needed was anyone finding out he wasn't exactly from around here, especially so close to the Millennium and everyone's obsession with aliens around that time. If only they knew what was still ahead of them.

He was drifting by for the first few years, working himself from one job to the next. He tried finding a way to get back, back to his time, back to the easier times. But eventually even he had to realize that wasn't gonna happen. He had tried repairing his Vortex Manipulator but found out pretty quickly that the spares he needed hadn't even be invented yet and probably wouldn't for another few hundred years.

Time to come up with a back-up plan than.

The back-up plan happened to find him before he found _it_.

He had heard of Torchwood before, of course he had. But it was more hear-say, gossip if you liked. He had heard some outrageous stories, about aliens and 'visitors' – stories so far away from reality that Torchwood clearly couldn't have been real.

He hadn't really paid an awful lot of attention to these rumors. And now he was regretting it. Had he known about Torchwood sooner, he certainly could have saved himself a few years of misery and trying to make somehow a decent living. Torchwood would bring the answer, and somehow the solution. They were about what he was. Alien, not from this time, not even from this planet. They investigated paranormal stuff and … pretty much from the beginning him. Because he kind of was just that – alien and paranormal.

Interestingly enough, the first time he 'applied' – or sought them out – they turned him down. He thought he was a nutcase, just some weirdo, who thought he'd be alien, but wasn't. Jack, who never in his life had been turned down for anything really, was shocked. Especially since he was real and what he claimed to be. It took him three more attempts to finally manage to convince them that he could be of use for them. By locating a Pterodactyl. In the middle of London. Torchwood was impressed – and offered him a job. Nothing big and prestigious, but it didn't matter. He was in, that was all that counted for him that moment. He was finally someplace that might be able to help him get back to his time.

For years Jack moved up the ranks in Torchwood, getting one promotion after another. No-one could say he wasn't working hard – although there were enough people that would say otherwise.

Jack never hid who he was and who he liked. That of course created plenty of rumors over the years – about him being involved with all sort of people from all sort of departments. Truth was, most of these rumors were made up. Partially by himself when he was bored. He had more important things to do than running after skirts and guys he fancied. Sure, there were more than enough people he ended up being involved, bedded and shared one or two very interesting nights with. But that was it. He couldn't get involved, not when he was planning on leaving this god-forbidden damn century eventually. He couldn't become _attached_ or _distracted_ too much.

He spent four years in London, dividing his time between working for Torchwood and working out how to fix his Vortex Manipulator. He had to be careful though. Despite everyone more or less knowing he wasn't from this time, he somehow had a feeling that if his (still broken) technology got into the wrong hands of certain people at Torchwood, he'd be screwed. They could know where he was from, but he certainly wasn't going to share how he got here (or back eventually).

He worked himself through Torchwood London until there really wasn't much left in regards of promotions and he was transferred to Cardiff – to run his very own branch of the Institute. He was given a team and the order to watch the rift on this side of the country - doing whatever necessary to keep the city save.

Jack certainly had no problem being sent to Cardiff. Being away from London meant he could spend more time trying to get back to his time and less time doing paperwork. That was the plan anyway. Until he met Ianto Jones.

Ianto Jones certainly had not been part of his plan. A plan that included no distractions. The problem with Ianto though was that the other man was a walking distraction. In his suits and perfectly made up. Not a hair out of place, always so… polite and accurate. And when he called him 'Sir', Jack was more than once about to drag him half across his desk and just have his way with him. Ironically Ianto didn't even seem to be aware of the effect he had on his Captain. Or if he did, he certainly played it very well.

But Ianto resisted. There was light flirting and occasionally the innuendos Jack Harkness had become more or less infamous for, but nothing further. A fact that drove Jack slightly insane. So soon he started to spent more time ignoring his paperwork, because that would bring Ianto up in his office, scolding him on doing his paperwork. Ianto in his office meant he would be alone with the Welshman, which again meant he could tease and test the waters some more and spent more time thinking about his favorite employee. The fixing of his Vortex Manipulator soon was forgotten or had to take at least the backseat – Jack was on a mission to get Ianto Jones in his bed.

At first he was sure it was the appeal of the challenge, of getting a raise out of Ianto in any which way and to see how far he could really push him. That soon turned into lust. Full-blown-hit-hard lust. That turned into sleepless nights – not that he slept much to begin with. This again turned into him losing concentration once too many, which again lead to him needing a plan. He surely couldn't go on like this and he surely would end up sooner or later doing something stupid.

"Ianto… I need a favor," he proclaimed one day. He knew Ianto loved a challenge and a good puzzle. So that's what Jack would give the younger man. Ianto looked at him quizzical, nor sure where this would lead probably. Jack produced his 'secret weapon'.

"I need you to take a closer look at this and see if you can fix it."

Ianto looked now even more confused. "What exactly is broken on your wrist strap, Sir?" he asked, turning the Vortex Manipulator in his hands to inspect it from several different angles.

"It's more than a wrist strap," Jack said and saw Ianto look at him curious. "It's a Vortex Manipulator."

"Is that just another fancy word for remote control?" Ianto asked grinning.

"No," Jack said shortly. This was somehow not how he had pictured this to go. All these questions. Why did 21st century people always need to ask so many things? "It is used to travel through time and space really."

Of course he should have anticipated Ianto's _you're kidding, right?_ look.

"What exactly is wrong with it?" Ianto finally asked, after there was no remark, no response and no reaction from Jack.

"I don't really know. Not even sure if it is fixable. I tried repairing it for the past few years, without success. Maybe you'll be more successful," Jack said, with Ianto still looking at him incredulous.

"I'll look at it," the Welshman said a moment later, turning the Vortex Manipulator again several times. "But without knowing what I'll need to look for or what this is actually used for, I can't promise you much."

"I told you," Jack started again. "It is used for travel through time and space."

Ianto was about to say something that Jack figured wouldn't have been a sudden acceptance, so before the younger man could get a word in, Jack just continued.

"For someone as thorough as you are, I would have figured you would know my file inside out, backwards and forwards," he just smiled, seeing Ianto all of a sudden shrug.

"I figured someone was just having fun."

"Take it or leave it but with working for Torchwood and all, would it be really so impossible to think I am from the future and am stuck in the wrong kind of time?"

"Now you sound like a really bad Sci-Fi movie," Ianto smiled, making Jack grin. He sure did.

There was another long silence, with Ianto just looking at the Manipulator and back at Jack, just to return his attention back to the piece of tech in his hand. "You were serious!" Jack all of a sudden heard. It wasn't a question. It was Ianto realizing that Jack had been telling the truth. "What – what year?" he heard Ianto ask a moment later.

Jack raised an eyebrow quizzically, not sure what Ianto meant at first, before his question sunk in.

"You read my file. You tell me," Jack just said, smiling.

"I believe it said 51st century, but… that can't be, right? I mean that would be - that would be just… " Ianto started, finding it hard to get the correct words. Or words at all. The expression on Jack's face somehow looked a lot like he was very real. "I guess it is good to know that the people in the world won't succeeded in blowing the planet up if it is still around in the 51 century," Ianto said a moment later, which made Jack laugh. It was so Ianto to all of a sudden apply reason and logic to something others might have found impossible.

"I'm not sure. Never made it to Earth. But I think the last news I remembered about Planet Earth was that they were still around," Jack just grinned and Ianto looked at him somewhat irritated.

"What do you mean, you never made it to Earth? You are… human, aren't you?"

"Technically yes. But I was born on the Boeshane Peninsula, which is a small colony in a different galaxy, light-years away from Earth really. Never made it to Earth, well, at least not in my time…"

Ianto raised both eyebrows at that and seemed like he wasn't quite sure what to make of what Jack just said. He had seen enough throughout his time with Torchwood to not freak out at information like that and to know that whatever Jack was saying could as well be the truth. It sounded weird, but then again he had heard and seen worse.

"I'll take a look at it when I have a moment. Let's see if I can get it to work again," Ianto said after what seemed hours of silence. "I come back when I need your help or… have it fixed—or decided to give up because it can't be fixed." He lifted the Vortex Manipulator, turned around and left Jack alone to his thoughts again.

One week turned into two, which turned into a month. Jack had already half forgotten about Ianto's little task, which was a bit unusual, seeing that fixing his Manipulator had been more or less constantly on his mind. Now his mind was occupied with other things. Things that mainly concerned Ianto. There was just something that draw Jack in. Something that felt almost like obsession. Jack – who had a fair share of partners over the course of his rather young life still – was mainly confused. He had bedded and loved quite a lot of people, but no one ever managed to get under his skin like Ianto Jones. And he hadn't even had Ianto yet. Nothing had happened so far – unless you counted the flirting and never-ending innuendo on Jack's side.

Jack needed a plan – once more. So instead of doing little paperwork, he now did little to no paperwork and instead used his time to come up with plans and ideas of how to get to Ianto. One of the problems was that Jack had no idea whether Ianto even played for his team or whether the Welshman was a ladies man.

After about a month – maybe even two – Ianto came to him, with questions. Loads of questions about all sorts of things concerning Jack, Jack's story and the Vortex Manipulator. He brought coffee and sat down in the visitor's chair opposite Jack's desk, waiting for answers. He did this for two weeks and Jack slowly wondered when the other man would run out of questions. Not anytime soon apparently. Jack found himself wondering why he told Ianto so much. It wasn't as if he didn't want anyone to know about him, but he usually never told someone _everything_ that was there to know about Jack Harkness. But with Ianto it was just so easy.

After about two weeks Ianto's coffee was exchanged for Jack's Scotch. The nights somehow got longer and were spent less with figuring out Jack's piece of technology, but rather with asking Jack all sorts of questions about the future, about himself.

And then one night it happened – no one would later be able to say whether it was just the events of the day, the amount of alcohol consumed or something that had been in the making a long time now. Maybe it didn't matter _what_ the reasons were - or who started it – but all of a sudden Jack found himself with a handful of a certain Welshman, kissing him. Or maybe he kissed Ianto first, who knew? It didn't matter. Details like these certainly were not important. What was important was that it happened. And that both men seemed eager participants.

Jack would remember that at some point he shoved everything from his desk to give himself and Ianto room – much to Ianto's dismay for a moment. He would also remember the noises coming from Ianto – sweet, distracting and so enticing noises that spurred him on even more.

Ianto would remember that Jack was very hands-on and certainly pushy when it came to dominance. Or who was on top. And how quickly Jack had him out his clothes, but how hard it was for him to get Jack out of _anything_.

Both would remember the amounts of pleasure the night brought – despite the amounts of alcohol which had been consumed.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

It was about a year after Jack had first given him the Vortex Manipulator that Ianto had to admit defeat. There was just no hope left that he would get this piece of technology ever working again. He just had to tell Jack, a task which he didn't look forward to. Surprisingly he took the news better than Ianto would have assumed, which left the Welshman with a few questions.

"Would you go back to yours, if you could?" Ianto asked, sitting on the edge of Jack's desk.

"Why? Would you miss me?" Jack asked, a grin on his face.

"Jup," Ianto answered quickly and short. Like he didn't have to even think about that answer. It was an honest answer. Of course he could have lied or pretended to not have listened, but what would have been the point? He learned a long time ago that honesty was the best strategy applied when dealing with Jack Harkness.

Jack let out a breath and leaned back in his chair, looking at Ianto. "I left home a long time again. I don't know where I really belong. Maybe that doesn't matter anymore," he answered truthfully. He never had really thought about it until Ianto actually asked. But it was true, he had been living on earth, in the 20th century for so long, he wasn't really sure anymore where he really belonged. And maybe it really _didn't _matter anymore.

"I think you get lonely," Ianto said, looking at him.

_A little less since you're around_, Jack thought to himself before answering.

"Going home wouldn't fix that. Being here I've seen things I never dreamt I'd see, loved people I never would have known if I just stayed where I was. And I wouldn't change that for the world." He looked at Ianto throughout his answer, seeing the other man shift on the edge of the desk. A moment later he felt Ianto's lips on his, the younger man bending in an awkward angle to reach Jack.

"I don't regret anything. Sure, the way how I got here could have been easier, but I won't complain," he smiled. "I am happy where I am, with the people I have in my life…"

"Don't you wish you couldn't see… your family again, see how they are doing?" Ianto asked curious, still sitting on the edge of Jack's desk.

"Technically they haven't even been born yet," Jack said smiling, seeing Ianto looking at him intensely. "But… seeing them wouldn't change a thing. Even before I got stuck here… I never saw them often."

"But wouldn't you want to know what they have gotten up to?" Ianto asked curiously. "I mean, I'm not particularly close to my family either, but I would like to know.."

"Trust me, in the Boeshane Peninsula isn't much you can 'get up to'," Jack grinned at Ianto.

"Hm…" Ianto said a moment later, smiling and getting off Jack's desk. He stood in front of Jack's chair, turning him around so he was facing him. A moment later Jack felt being pulled up by his braces and coming face to face with Ianto Jones.

"Aren't you glad you have left then?" Ianto asked and a moment later he closed the gap to Jack, pressing his lips firmly against Jack, pulling him along with him towards what Jack assumed would be his bunker.

He definitely liked what Ianto got up to for sure…


End file.
